Hello ESG in VC followers,
Welcome to the 6th edition of ESG in VC Insights. Curated with 🖤 every month by ESG in VC team.
2023 Outlook
As we welcome in the new year, take a look at these outlooks for ESG and Impact for the year ahead!
The Financial Times highlights its top ESG themes on its radar for 2023
The Economist reports on the Top 5 Sustainability & Climate Trends to watch in 2023
Insider Intelligence lists its ESG predictions for 2023 including its continued boom in investing and the strengthening of oversight
ClimateHack Weekly outlines its Top 10 ClimateTech sectors that it believes will garner the most excitement from VCs in 2023
FemWealth looks to the trends ahead in 2023 for women-led startups, venture capital, women’s health and more
ESG in the News
Deloitte in collaboration with PitchBook releases its Road to Next report highlighting the growing prevalence of ESG adoption and deal-making
Despite rising concerns over climate change and growth in renewable energy, US emissions continued to rise through 2022
By early 2025, the IEA now expects renewable energy to be the largest source of electricity in the global power mix, surpassing coal, as solar and wind in particular are poised for growth
At the same time, as wind energy seeks to scale across the US, resistance is now often met by local municipalities
New research from Access2Funding, an organization fighting for equitable investment in disabled-owned and led businesses, finds that disabled entrepreneurs are systematically excluded from venture capital funding
Pitchbook finds that female-only founders garnered only 2% of US VC capital in 2022
The Regulatory Report
Many investors are quickly downgrading the sustainability credentials of their funds as Europe’s Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) comes into full force
In a rapidly evolving ESG landscape, here are 3 steps that companies can take to better prepare for new regulation
Antitrust regulation may threaten to tamper the efforts of businesses looking to collaborate on climate action initiatives
Impact Alpha discusses the rising prevalence of the US GOP’s attacks on ESG, which may be a contradiction of its pro-business stance
Noteworthy Raises in E
🌍Europe
FoodTech startup, BlakBear, a London-based developer of advanced sensors to improve food and agriculture quality control and reduce food waste, raises £2.3 million of seed funding led by Ada Ventures
Clean energy startup, Gen2 Energy, a Borre, Norway-based energy company looking to develop, build, and operate an integrated value chain for green hydrogen, raises an undisclosed amount of venture funding
🌎North America
Bioplastics startup, Nutjobs, a Carmel, California-based developer of formulations to convert nutshell waste into alternative plastics, raises $15 million of seed funding led by S2G Ventures
Sustainable materials startup, The Hemp Plastic Company, a Boulder Colorado-based developer of hemp-based resins and other plastic alternative materials, raises $170k of venture funding
Cold storage startup, Artyc, a Mateo, California-based developer of electric cold storage containers for the logistics industry, raises $3.4 million of venture funding
Energy storage startup, Caban Systems, a Burlingame, California-based developer of energy storage systems for the telecom industry, raises $51 million of Series B funding led by BCP Ventures
Sustainable fuels startup, Nexus Circular, an Atlanta, Georgia-based developer of waste management solutions intended to convert waste plastics into fuels, raises $150 million of venture funding led by Cox Enterprises
🌏 South America, Africa, & Asia
AgTech startup, Wuitu Smart Tech, a China-based developer of automated and carbon-neutral farming management technologies, raises CNY 10 million of venture funding from Spinel Capital (Shanghai) and Changzhou Venture Capital Group
MobilityTech & AI startup, Breton Technology, a China-based developer of electric autonomous trucks for transportation, mining, and construction, raises CNY 579 million of Series C funding from Inner Mongolia Eerduosi Resources Company and Hunan Chasing Fund
MobilityTech startup, ElectricPE, a Bengaluru, India-based developer of an EV charging platform intended to offer affordable and accessible clean charging, raises $6.2 million of venture funding led by Blume Ventures, Micelio, and Green Frontier Capital
Noteworthy Raises in S
🌍 Europe
FinTech startup, ProGrad, a London, UK-based credit risk assessment platform aiming to connect third-level students with funding, raises £2.15 million of seed funding from Deloitte Ventures
MobilityTech and HealthTech startup, Centaur Robotics, a London, UK-based developer of two-wheeled, electric self-balancing chairs designed to provide improved accessibility for those with mobility challenges, raises £495k of seed funding from undisclosed investors
🌎North America
HealthTech startup, Pavella Therapeutics, a Wayne, Pennsylvania-based developer of novel therapies for serious and rare genetic skin diseases, raises $37.7 million of Series D funding led by Petrichor Healthcare Capital Management
SDGs - 3
EdTech startup, Prisms of Reality, a San Francisco, California-based immersive educational platform designed to offer realistic 3D environments for learning, raises $17.9 million of Series A funding from undisclosed investors
SDGs - 4
HealthTech startup, Claria Medical, a San Francisco, CA-based developer of surgical instruments addressing unmet needs in gynecologic surgery, raises $8 million of Series A-3 funding from Organon
SDGs - 3
HealthTech startup, Palarum, a Lebanon, Ohio-based developer of patented smart socks designed to inform caregivers when vulnerable patients are at risk for falls, raises $3.7 million of venture funding from undisclosed investors
SDGs - 3
EdTech startup, Shoonya, a Santa Barbara, California-based developer of an interactive language learning platform designed to expose children to cultural diversity, raises $191k of Series 3 seed funding from undisclosed investors
SDGs - 4
🌏 Asia & Australia
HealthTech startup, Arincare, a Bangkok, Thailand-based digital wholesale pharmacy platform seeking to lower drug prices, raises $4 million of Series B funding from Chularat Hospital Group and Max Ventures
SDGs - 3
FinTech startup, Digiasia Bios, a Jakarta, Indonesia-based developer of software intended to promote financial inclusion through digital payments, peer-to-peer lending, and remittance, raises $100 million of development capital from Yorkville Advisors
HealthTech startup, MindPeers, a New Delhi, India-based mental health self-care platform aiming to make mental health care affordable and measurable, raises $500k of seed funding led by Venture Catalysts
SDGs - 3
Noteworthy Raises in G
AI & Machine Learning startup, Intensel, a Hong Kong-based developer of climate risk software allowing investors to measure portfolio and asset-level risks related to climate change, raises an undisclosed amount from HKUST Entrepreneurship Fund
Latest Funds Announcements
Global growth equity firm, General Atlantic, close its inaugural BeyondNetZero fund, raising $3.5 billion to invest in climate solutions
After first launching in 2021, Goldman Sachs closes on its $1.6 billion Horizon Environment & Climate Solutions I Fund to invest in companies providing climate and environmental solutions
Hamburg, Germany-based HIH Real Estate launches a new Article 9 fund, HIH Green Energy Invest, to invest in European renewable energy that is targeting to raise EUR 750 million
Australian pension fund, HESTA, providing health and community service to its eligible members, invests an additional $200 million in its HESTA Sustainable Capital Investment Trust to invest in lower-middle-market SDG-aligned businesses
London-based asset manager, Gresham House, launches its Irish Strategic Forestry Fund that will invest up to EUR 200 million to support afforestation in Ireland